Hydraulic oral hygiene apparatus



Sept. 23, 1969 Q HEITZMAN 3,468,306

HYDRAULIC ORAL HYGIENE APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9, 1966 Inventor:

Charles J. Heitzman his AHorney Unite States Patent O 3,468,306 HYDRAULIC ORAL HYGIENE APPARATUS Charles J. Heitzman, Honolulu, Hawaii, assignor to R & H Moiding, Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii, a corporation of Hawaii Filed Dec. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 600,473 Int. Cl. A61h 13/00 US. Cl. 12866 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Hydraulic oral hygiene apparatus attachable to a water outlet and having a turbine-driven rotary valve for producing at a manually manipulatable nozzle a water jet pulsated by the valve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION While water jets have long been used by technicians in dentists offices for flushing mouths during tooth cleaning, it has recently been found that the use of a water jet in the home for personal oral hygiene is of definite benefit to the health of teeth and gums in enabling foreign matter to be flushed from areas around them that are inaccessible to a toothbrush or dental floss and also in stimulating the gum tissue. Devices for such use have heretorfore been proposed which are attachable to a faucet and pass water under pressure from the faucet through flexible tubing to a restricted orifice in a nozzle for producing a high velocity jet directable by the user in any part of the mouth. As pointed out in Mattingly Patent No. 3,227,158, issued 1 an. 4, 1966, it has now been found that proper stimulation of the gums requires the jet be pulsed for alternately depressing and permitting rebound of the tissue against which it is directed and that a pulsed jet is also more effective in flushing out foreign matter. As a pulsating jet cannot be produced simply by passing water from the faucet through a restricted orifice, Mattingly proposesfor its production a self-contained, electrically operated device which contains its own water supply and develops the required pressure and pulsing by drawing water from the supply by an electrically driven pump for delivery to a suitable nozzle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As opposed to those of the prior art, the improved hydraulic oral hygiene apparatus of the present invention not only uses the water pressure available at a faucet or other convenient outlet for producing a readily directable water jet, but also makes use of the same pressure to cause the jet to pulsate for optimum benefit in cleaning and gum massage. It therefore is the primary object of the present invention to provide hydraulic apparatus for oral hygiene which is attachable to an outlet of water under pressure and depends entirely on that water for producing a pulsating water jet.

Another object of the invention is to provide hydraulic apparatus for oral hygiene which is attachable to a convenient outlet of water under pressure and so constructed and arranged as to divide that flow between a nozzle from which water is ejected as a high velocity jet by passing through a restricted orifice and a turbine driving a rotary valve in the path of flow to the nozzle for causing the jet ejected thereby to pulsate at a desired rate.

A further object of the invention is to provide hydraulic apparatus for oral hygiene of the character described in the preceding object wherein the pulse rate of the jet is controlled by controlling the rate of discharge of the part of the water driving the turbine.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the improved oral hygiene device of the present invention applied to a faucet;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale of the device of FIGURE 1 with the applicator removed and outlet line broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along lines 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved hydraulic oral hygiene apparatus of the present invention is entirely hydraulically driven and all of its parts exposed to water preferably are made of non-corrosive material for trouble-free operation.

The improved apparatus is comprised of a housing or casing 1 of such size and shape as to be suspended from a faucet, hand-held or rested on its bottom during use. The preferred housing is open-ended and flat-bottomed and has a cylindrical bottom, base or lower portion 2. a cylindrical top or upper portion 3 of smaller diameter and a frusto-conical intermediate portion 4 connecting the top and bottom portions. A central aperture or opening 5, extending axially through the preferred housing, provides in descending order a downwardly tapering inlet port 6 in the top portion 3, a valve chamber 7, a bearing seat 8, a turbine chamber 9, and a discharge port 10 for the turbine chamber. The two chambers 7 and 9, seat 8, and discharge port 10 are all preferably cylindrical but not of the same diameter, the turbine chamber being the largest and the valve chamber usually the smallest. Rather than being formed in the housing proper, the discharge port 10 preferably is formed in a bottom plate or retainer 11 screwed or otherwise releasably fitted or secured into the bottom of the housing and itself having a flat bottom 12 to facilitate standing or resting of the housing thereon. To minimize. splashing during and retard discharge, the discharge port 10 desirably is screened or interrupted axially by a central screen 13 of an annular insert 14, screwed or otherwise inserted from above into and seated in the bottom plate 11.

A radial outlet passage 15 in the intermediate portion 4 of the housing 1 opens inwardly onto the valve chamber 7 and extends outwardly therefrom to connect to a flexible tube or tubing 16 which is either releasably or permanently secured to the housing, as by having its inner end received or socketed directly in the housing or, as illustrated, in a sleeve or tubular fitting or holder 17 pressfitted or otherwise secured in and concentric or coaxial with the outlet passage 15. At or on its outer end, the tube 16 conveniently is connected to a manually manipulable jet applicator 18 suitably having a handle portion 19 to which the tube is directly connected and a nozzle or tip 20 through which the water jet produced by the apparatus is emitted or ejected.

For ease in directing the jet into any desired part of the users mouth, the nozzle 20 ordinarily will be bent at a right or other suitable angle. To adapt the aparatus for use by more than one member of the household, the nozzle 20 may be one of a plurality of interchangeable nozzles, each releasably insertible into or otherwise connectable to the front end 21 of the handle portion 19. The nozzles furnished with each apparatus may be differently colored or otherwise suitably differentiated so that each user can recognize his own. While the water delivered to the outlet line 22, having the outlet passage 15 and nozzle 20 as its opposite terminals, may be converted by its own pressure into a high velocity jet by a restricted orifice 23 located elsewhere in the line, the orifice, is best located in the outer end of the nozzle and a drilled or otherwise suitably formed orifice of fixed rather than variable cross-sectional area at that point will usually sutfice.

Pulsing or pulsating of the water jet emitted by the nozzle 20 is effected by a valve 24 positioned in the path of flow of water between the inlet port 6 and outlet passage 15. The preferred pulsing or pulse-producing valve 24 has a generally cup-shaped upper or valving part 25 having an upwardly opening hollow interior 26 bounded at the side by a cylindrical side wall 27 and at the bottom by a flat annular disc 28 integral with the side wall. Rotatably fitting or seating in the valve chamber 7, preferably with only sufficient radial or lateral clearance between its side wall 27 and the chamber to prevent interference with rotation by contact therebetween, the valving part 25 valves or intermittently passes water to the outlet passage confronting the side wall by suitable slotting or aperturing of the latter. A single vertically or axially extending slot 29, circumferentially or arcuately of somewhat less than half the extent of the wall, usually is sufficient for pulsing at a rate or over a range of rates suitable for stimulation of the gums. While having its valving part or element 25 mounted in the valve chamber 7, the preferred rotary valve 24 is supported and rotatably mounted in the housing 1 by a ball or other suitable anti-friction bearing 30 seated in the bearing seat 8 below the valve chamber and suitably held or secured therein, as by a support plate 31 screwed or otherwise releasably attached to the housing 1. The bearing 30 preferably is a sealed ball bearing and the valve 24 turns therein on a hollow spindle or shaft 32 concentric with the valving element 25 and rigid or integral with and depending from that elements bottom disc or plate 28.

The rotary valve 24 is rotated or turned about its vertical axis in the housing 1, alternately to expose or open and block or close the inner end of the outlet passage 15 to and from water entering the hollow interior 26 of the valving element 25 through the inlet port 6, by a turbine suitably in the form of an impeller or thrust tube 33 fixed to and projecting or extending below and radially from the valves spindle 32. To facilitate assembly the preferred impeller 33 is of somewhat Z-shape, with an upper or vertical arm 34 concentric or coaxial with and applied from below to the spindle 32 and fixed or secured thereto for rotation in unison, as by press-fitting the arm into the spindle.

Projecting downwardly into the turbine chamber 9, the vertical arm 34 of the impeller 33 merges at its lower end with the inner end of a radial or thrust arm 35. R- tating or turning in and projecting or extending radially of the turbine chamber 9, the preferred radial arm 35 is horizontally bent and terminates outwardly adjacent the side of the chamber in a tangentially disposed or directed nozzle 36. Tubular, with a central passage 37 through it for connecting its nozzle 36 to the interior 26 of the valving element 25, the impeller 33, when the apparatus is operated, is designed to inject a continuous jet or stream of water tangentially into the turbine chamber 9 and derive from the injection the continuous eccentric thrust by which it turns the rotary valve 24. The outlet orifice 38 in the nozzle will ordinarily be of fixed cross-sectional area and may be of the illustrated vertically elongated rectangular or other suitable shape.

Driven by the turbine 33, and disposed in the path of flow of water from the inlet port 6 to the applicator nozzle 20, the rotary valve 24 by intermittently interrupting or obstructing that path, will pulse or pulsate the jet issuing from the nozzle at a rate equal to its own r.p.m.

.4 multiplied by the number of slots, apertures or ports 29 in its side wall 27 through which water is passed or delivered to the outlet passage 15 on radial alignment thereof. If free to turn under the full water pressure usually available in dwellings in metropolitan areas, the impeller 33 could drive the rotary valve 24 at so high a rate as in effect to blend the pulses into a continuous jet of no particular efiicacy to gum massage or stimulation because of the inability of the gum to rebound in the extremely short interval between pulses. The rate can be controlled by regulating the supply at the faucet and to a degree such control will usually be exercised. However, as decrease in the supply will also decrease the velocity of the jet at the nozzle 20 of the applicator 18, it is desirable to rely mainly on other means for slowing the impeller 33. Accordingly, the impeller 33 of the preferred apparatus, is impeded to slow the pulses to an effective rate or frequency range, such as that mentioned in the Mattingly patent, by throttling the discharge of water from the turbine chamber 9 so as to force the impeller in turning to push against the water it has injected into the chamber. This throttling is obtained by partially closing the bottom of the turbine chamber 9 by the bottom or closure plate 11 and limiting discharge water from the chamber to the relatively restricted discharge port or opening 10 in the plate, with the throttling assisted by the screening of the port by the screen 13.

The usual use of the improved apparatus will be in a btahroom with the water under pressure by which the apparatus is hydraulically driven obtained by connecting the inlet port 6 in the top of the housing 1 to the available mixing or cold water faucet or outlet indicated at 39 with the housing 1 held upright to discharge into the basin (not shown). The illustrated housing is designed for connection to a faucet by an adapter 40 having at one end a female fitting 40 for threading or screwing onto its externally threaded top portion 3. However, there is such wide variation in the forms of faucets that no one fitting at the adapters other end will fit them all, even making the adapter beyond the fitting 41 both flexible and laterally stretchable for slipping over the faucet not hing too suitable in many cases. The easiest connection would of course be to an externally threaded faucet, such as one fitted for a screw-on aerator, in which case, as illustrated, the housing can be suspended from the faucet by an adapter having relatively rotatable female fittings backto-back. But the adapting of the apparatus for connection to all types of faucets almost inevitably will require that more than one type of adapter be made available for the apparatus.

One the inlet port 6 is connected to a faucet, all that is required to operate the apparatus is to turn on the faucet, at which time the applicator nozzle 20 should of course be directed into the mouth of the user. As both continuous and pulsating jets for oral hygiene in the home are already in use, there is no need to explain the manner in which the pulsating jet of the present apparatus should be applied. However, the convenience in use of the apparatus can best be appreciated when it is explained that the housing can be quite small, that of an operating prototype being only 1% inches high and 1% inches wide at the base. Although the size of the housing and its various components, including the impeller 33, may be varied as desired, a suitable rate of pulsing of the jet from the applicator nozzle 20 is obtained in the prototype with a single opening of about 70 in the side wall 27 of the valving element, a thrust arm on the impeller /2 inch long and an outlet orifice of /2 inch by A inch in the impellers nozzle, and the volume of the turbine chamber 9 and area of the discharge port 10 suited to these dimensions, as they are in the illustrated embodiment.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved hydraulic apparatus for oral hygiene which delivers a pulsating jet for both cleaning and gum massage using only hydraulic pressure and is economical and rugged in construction. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included that do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Hydraulic oral hygiene apparatus attachable to an outlet of water under pressure comprising manually manipulable nOZZle means for ejecting water from the outlet as a jet injectable into a users mouth, valve means in the path of flow of water from said outlet to said ejecting means and drivable alternately to open and closed positions for intermittently interrupting said flow and thereby pulsating said jet, and means hydraulically driven by water from said outlet for driving said valve means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the valve means is a rotary valve, and the hydraulically driven means is a turbine.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein water for driving the turbine flows thereto through the valve means without valving thereby.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 including means for slowing the speed at which the turbine would otherwise be driven by water pressure applied to it from the outlet.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 including a housing to which the jet ejecting means is attached, said housing having in inlet port connectable to the outlet, a valve chamber open to said inlet port, the rotary valve having a valving part in said chamber between said inlet port and an opening from said chamber to said jet ejecting means, and a turbine chamber in said housing connected to said inlet port and receiving the turbine.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 including means for restricting discharge of water from the turbine chamber and thereby hydraulically slowing the speed of the turbine by the water by which the turbine is driven.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the valve and turbine chambers are axially aligned, and the inlet port and turbine chamber are connected through and disposed respectively above and below the valve chamber.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 including anti-friction means in the housing between the valve and turbine chambers and receiving a spindle of and rotatably mounting the rotary valve.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the valving part has a hollow interior upwardly open to the inlet port and a cylindrical side wall confronting and apertured for intermittently exposing the opening from the jet ejecting means onto the valve chamber, the stem of the valve is hollow, the turbine is an impeller fixed to and projecting below and radially from the spindle and terminating outwardly in a tangentially disposed nozzle, and the impeller has a passage therethrough for connecting the nozzle thereof to the inlet port through said hollow stern and said hollow interior of the upper part of the valve.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein a bottom plate having a screened relatively restricted discharge port therethrough partly closes a bottom of the turbine chamber for retarding discharge therefrom of water injected thereinto by the impeller and by forcing the impeller to push against water retarding the speed of rotation thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.. 128-229 

